Bloom Into Me
by Theralion
Summary: Before Touko came to Toomi East High School, and before she even became who she is today, her older sister Mio was the highly respected pillar of the school community. This is the story of Mio's life, death and legacy, and a look at the girl behind the legend. Possible spoilers if you've only seen the anime.
1. Prologue

**Bloom Into Me**

* * *

 **Prologue**

On a Monday morning in the middle of September, Toomi East High School began yet another school day, albeit one that was not entirely like the ones that came before it. One of the most prominent and well-respected members of the school, as well as the leader of its student body, did not come to the school that day, and never would again.

At the start of the day, the students were summoned into the gymnasium for a special assembly. The reason had not been given, but more than a few of those in attendance made educated guesses, and some of them perhaps knew already.

"Is it really true? Was the president really in that accident?"

"...my friend lives in the same building, and he heard the ambulance coming."

"Seriously? The driver didn't see her?"

"What's going to happen with the school play now?

The principal, an elderly man, walked up to the podium, carrying a framed portrait in his arms. After setting down the portrait, he motioned for silence among all the boys and girls assembled in orderly rows.

"Good morning, everyone," the principal said. "It is with great sadness that I announce that our student council president, Nanami Mio-san, was killed in a traffic accident yesterday afternoon."

Gasps of shock and surprise went up from the members of the audience who hadn't heard or suspected that Mio had been in an accident.

"Settle down, please," the principal said. "While some of you may undoubtedly have heard certain things about Nanami-san's death, I ask that you not irresponsibly spread rumors. Please show consideration to the Nanami family, and keep them in their thoughts as they grieve for their loss. In Nanami-san's memory, I ask you all to observe a moment of silence."

The principal held a moment of silence for Touko, one that the student body and all others in attendance respectfully observed.

"Thank you," the principal said. "I have also spoken with the student council, and we have appointed an interim president for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, the student council will not be able to put on their play for this year's festival."

The play and the student council's leadership seemed to be trifling concerns compared to one girl's life being cut short so suddenly, but they were a harsh reminder that the community could not simply move on after losing one of its students. Perhaps the students would eventually adjust to the "new normal" without Mio, but those close to her would have to endure the feeling of loss, and more practically, the sudden and traumatic death of a student council president would inevitably disrupt the student council's work.

Of course, life had to go on, and the principal soon dismissed the students, sending them back to their homerooms and leaving them to work through their feelings on their own. Mio meant different things to different people, so all of them ended up coming to terms with her passing in different ways. Some eventually forgot her, others moved on with their lives while cherishing their memories of her, and one young girl sought to become her older sister, out of a desire to emulate Mio and do everything she could not.

* * *

Just who was Mio?

While no person can be summed up in a single word or a single sentence, most people, when asked that question, could think of a few answers for Mio. Mio was the eldest daughter of the Nanami family, student council president of her school, a star student, an excellent athlete and a popular young lady with many friends, as well as a victim of a local traffic accident.

Of course, while virtually everyone who went to school or worked at Toomi East High School had heard of Mio, and knew why she was famous, few of them knew much about her personal life. Some were obligated to keep a certain distance from her, while others knew her, but were not close enough that she would willingly confide in them. A handful of people close to her knew more than others, but none of them knew the entire truth- they each had a few pieces to the puzzle that was her. The truth about Mio, or at least the most important pieces of the puzzle, had died with her.

But while no one person knows the entire truth about Mio, her life and death had a profound impact on those close to her. What follows is Mio's story, the tale of a life cut short, and the closest thing to the truth about a girl who was widely known but not always understood.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

This fic is a look at the life of Mio Nanami, Touko's older sister and her greatest role model. Be warned that there will be spoilers if you aren't caught up with the manga.

It's a NaNoWriMo project, so I'm hoping to have it finished and/or up to 50,000 words by the end of November, although it may not be nearly long enough to reach the latter mark.

Regarding the student council, it's somewhat surprising that apart from the president, none of the "officers" have official titles, so it's hard to tell who took over after Mio died (although it probably wasn't Ichigaya, since he talks about the president's job as though he's never actually done it).

For your reference, here's a brief timeline, based on my estimations.

23 years before the story (YBS): Mio and Ichigaya are born.

16 YBS: Touko and Sayaka are born.

15 YBS: Yuu and the other first-years are born.

11 YBS: Mio enters middle school (presumably the one Yuu and her friends attended).

8 YBS: Mio enters high school and joins the student council.

7 YBS: Mio is killed in an accident. The yearly play is canceled until Touko revives the tradition.

5 YBS: The Nanami family moves cross-town, Rei and Hiro start officially dating.

1 YBS: Touko and Sayaka come to Toomi East


	2. The Budding Prodigy

**Chapter 1: The Budding Prodigy**

* * *

When did Mio's story truly begin?

Some would choose the most obvious answer, and say that it began when she was born, while others say that it began when she first started school at Toomi East High School. The latter camp argued that was when Mio truly became the student council president everyone knew, while the former camp argued that all of the events in Mio's life had made her into the person she was when she entered high school.

There is a certain amount of truth to both arguments. On the one hand, Mio had spent most of her childhood as an exceptional student, but only truly became a school celebrity in the year and a half before her death. On the other hand, she had not become that way overnight; rather, the groundwork had been laid years in advance.

The Nanami family had always been serious about their children's education, which they saw as key to success later in life. To that end, they were fairly strict about establishing good study habits, and had no desire to hear about Mio getting into trouble at school. Whenever someone praised Mio for putting so much effort into her studies, she'd often say, "I had to."

Mio's motivations notwithstanding, she stayed the course, working as hard as she needed to and excelling in school. There were times when she questioned why she had to work so hard, but she stopped asking those questions once she began to achieve success, and enjoy everything that came with it.

* * *

After a long day in first grade, Mio headed straight to the living room of the Nanami family home and proudly showed her parents yet another excellent report card- she was at the top of the class and had high scores on every exam. This wasn't the first time it had happened, but it had happened often enough that it was clear that Mio's initial successes were not merely a fluke.

Mio's father looked over her report card with a small smile. As a serious and emotionally reserved man, he wasn't exactly emotionally open, but he was pleased with his daughter's success, and believed some positive reinforcement was in order.

"Excellent work, Mio," Mio's father said. "Keep up the good work."

Mio smiled, and said, "Thank you," but the implications were not lost on her. She had been told that expectations would rise as she got older and moved up in school, with more advanced material and stricter rules for her to follow. She had done well so far, but if she did not continue her high performance, her parents would inevitably be disappointed with her.

"By the way, Mio, I have some important news for you," Mio's mother said. "You're going to have a little brother or sister."

Mio's eyes widened. Some of her classmates had older siblings and a few had younger siblings, but none of them had a sibling on the way. She'd heard about pregnancy before, and had seen a few women her mother's age with noticeable bulges, but since her mother wasn't that far enough along yet, Mio hadn't expected to hear that news.

"Really?" Mio said.

"That's right, dear," Mio's mother said. "Your father and I spent a while thinking of names, and we've decided. If it's a boy, his name will be Touji, and if it's a girl, her name will be Touko."

"Those are nice names," Mio said.

"We decided to tell you this for a reason," Mio's father said. "Your younger sibling will look up to you as a role model, so it's important that you set a good example for them."

Mio nodded, and said yes, the only answer that she could give. Her parents had stressed the importance of making good decisions, and how in many cases, there were clear-cut right and wrong answers, a bit like multiple choice questions on a test. Her path was clear- work hard and excel in school- and Mio would follow it for the rest of her short life.

Throughout Mio's education, her grades remained consistently high, but the numbers- both Mio's rank at the top of her class and near-perfect test scores- didn't tell the entire story. Mio was genuinely intelligent and worked hard enough to earn those grades, but the fact that she enjoyed her reputation as an honor student didn't mean she necessarily enjoyed school. She succeeded because she believed it was the only choice she had to keep up her reputation and meet everyone's expectations of her.

* * *

Not long after Mio turned seven and entered second grade, Touko was born. One night, Touko's parents rushed to the hospital, and a few days later, they brought a baby girl home. At breakfast that morning, Touko's father had told her that her mother, as well as her sister, would be coming home, so Mio left for school.

As the final bell for the day rang, Mio quickly packed her school supplies into her book bag, not wanting to waste any time.

"You look like you're eager to get home, Mio-chan," one of Mio's many friends, the girl who sat behind her in class, said.

Mio was tempted to say "That's how I feel every day," but thought better of it. She was significantly more casual with her friends than she was with mere acquaintances, much less authority figures, but there were some things she wasn't willing to admit to anyone.

"My mom's supposed to get out of the hospital today," Mio said. "I'm going to meet my little sister, and I've been looking forward to that all day."

"Oh, that's great!" Mio's friend said. "She's so lucky having such a smart older sister!"

Mio nodded awkwardly, not really in the mood for a conversation.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't make you hang out here and talk to me when you want to get home," Mio's friend said. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow, Mio-chan."

"See you then," Mio said, before leaving.

Mio left home, once again thinking about how much her friends looked up to her. As flattering as it was that her friends genuinely respected her for her talent, she also realized that most of them had really started to remember her name and talk to her after seeing her ace the first tests. Would they have become friends if Mio hadn't been as good of a student? And would they still be interested in being friends with Mio if she couldn't keep it up? Those were two questions Mio didn't want to find the answers to, which was why she strove to get all the right answers on her tests and homework.

* * *

"I'm home," Mio said, as she got and took off her shoes. Ordinarily, she'd go to her room and change out of her uniform- a white button-down shirt and a dark blue skirt with matching suspenders- but she believed that could wait until after she met her little sister.

Mio's mother sat on the sofa, wearing a blouse and long skirt that were part of her normal wardrobe, an outfit that she hadn't worn since she'd switched to maternity clothes. She held her infant daughter in her arms, gently rocking Touko.

"Welcome home, Mio," Mio's mother said. "How was school today?"

"It was good, Mom," Mio said. "More importantly, I'm glad you're out of the hospital."

"Thank you," Mio's mother said. "I'm sure you're eager to meet your little sister, aren't you?"

Mio nodded eagerly.

"Mio, this is your little sister, Touko," Mio's mother said, before looking down at the baby. "Touko, this is your big sister, Mio."

Touko simply looked up at her little sister with a small smile, seemingly oblivious to what was going on.

"Nice to meet you, Touko," Mio said. "I'll do my best to be a good big sister for you."

Looking on her sister, Touko saw a person who had yet to be shaped by the world she lived in and the people closest to her. In her sister, there lay untapped potential, and Mio was looking forward to finding out what sort of person her sister would become. Indeed, some people who knew Mio would say that if she could list everything she regretted about dying so young, not being able to see her sister grow up would be at the top of the list.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Thank you for the favorites and follows.

Since, as far as I know, the characters don't have official birthdays and we don't know what year the series is set in, I had to leave it somewhat vague as to when in the year Touko was born.

The fic will go into whether, and to what extent, Mio's true self matched her reputation. While Ichigaya was probably right and she wasn't completely the honor student Touko remembers, it's still most likely that she had actually earned her successes, like Touko did, so she was most likely very intelligent and at least somewhat hard-working. Mio does have several reasons for working hard even if she doesn't exactly like it, and the fic will explore some of those reasons.

Speaking of which, in a fan translation of Chapter 21( _like I said, there will be manga spoilers; this is your last warning_ ), when Touko says that she had no idea her sister was like how Ichigaya described, Ichigaya suggests that Mio might have wanted to look "cool" in front of her little sister. I'm not sure how accurate the translation is, but it could explain the discrepancy between Ichigaya and Mio's perceptions of Mio. Interestingly enough, the opposite seems to happen with the main character in the play- the girl's schoolmate is in awe of her talent, while her brother, who sees her in his private life, is a bit bitter at how much she detached herself from her family. In this sense, it seems as though Mio wasn't completely being herself while around her sister, while the main character's brother concludes that her persona was at home was probably her "true" self.


	3. The Late Bloomer

**Chapter 2: The Late Bloomer**

* * *

One fact that those closest to Touko, if few others, know is that she would not have become the person she was if not for her sister Mio setting an example for Touko to follow while she was alive, and leaving a void for Touko to fill once she died. But how did Touko influence Mio?

Some people who'd known Mio since before Touko's birth would say that Touko's arrival had changed nothing, since Mio continued walking the path of an honor student. Others concluded that Touko had given Mio more reason to stay the course, since she needed to live up to the impression her younger sister had of her. Still others gave no thought to the reasons, and simply focused on the result- to them, it didn't matter why Mio did what she did, only that she'd achieved success beyond what most of her peers could dream of.

* * *

Touko started elementary school around the time Mio graduated and moved on to middle school. The fact that the sisters were so far apart in age meant that they would never attend the same school, but they were close enough together that many people, both students and teachers, still remembered an excellent student like Mio.

"Hey, sis, guess what?" Touko said once she was alone with Mio. "When I met Takizawa-sensei today, she asked me, 'You're Nanami Mio-san's little sister, aren't you?' I said yes."

Mio chuckled nervously. The two sisters looked almost alike, so looking at Touko was almost like looking in a mirror that showed her reflection seven years ago. Touko had her sister's dark hair, and wore it in a bob cut, as Mio did when she was her sister's age.

"That's a surprise," Mio said. "Takizawa-sensei has been teaching for a long time, and has probably taught hundreds of students like us, so I didn't think she'd remember me."

"I asked her that, too," Touko said, "and she said that you were one of her best students, so of course she'd remember you."

"If she says so," Mio said. "I'm sure all my teachers have at least a few extremely talented students each year, so I'm not sure how they can tell them apart."

While Mio had to admit that she was slightly flattered that her old teacher remembered her, another part of her worried about whether she'd ended up setting the bar high for her sister. The Nanami family was not a famous one, so Mio was the only member that anyone in the schools had reason to know about. Mio had succeeded in impressing her teachers, since they hadn't anticipated excellence from her, but would Touko be able to step out of Mio's shadow?

* * *

Time went on, and Touko gradually got used to attending school, but it was clear that her experience was not very much like Mio's. While Mio occasionally heard Touko mention the names of a few of her peers at school, and got the impression that Touko enjoyed hanging out with them, Touko had yet to bring any friends over. While Touko didn't say it outright, Mio could infer that the few children Touko socialized with had taken the initiative in reaching out to her.

One day, Mio happened upon Touko showing her report card to their father. Mio never saw what was printed on the page, but she didn't need to. She could see her father furrow his brow as he looked over the report card, and hear the disappointment in his tone as he said, "You can do better, Touko."

Ordinarily, being a mediocre student wouldn't be such a bad thing. One of Mio's friends, an only child, had so-so grades, and had come to terms with that- she simply asked Mio for tutoring and counted herself lucky to have "such a smart friend." But as long as Mio was around, and perhaps even if something happened to Mio, Touko would inevitably be compared to her older sister, a comparison that would certainly be unfavorable given the gaps in the sisters' abilities.

At this moment, all Touko could do was nod glumly, then slink away the moment her father gave her permission to leave. She knew that it wouldn't solve her problems, but at the very least, it would give her brief respite from being compared to her sister.

* * *

Mio followed Touko into her room, and saw her sitting on her bed, staring out the window. As if to set the mood, a torrential downpour of rain had begun not long after both sisters had gotten home from school, and it was clearly visible from the window.

"Are you all right, Touko?" Mio said.

Touko shook her head.

"I didn't think so," Mio said. "I know Dad's really strict, but if he has high expectations, it's because he thinks you can meet them."

"I can't," Touko said. "I'm not talented like you are, sis, so I can't get the grades Dad wants me to get."

Mio paused to think for a moment. As tempting as it was to say "You can," she was too old to get into an "Is not!" "Is too!" argument with her sister. Instead, she had to think of something else to tell Touko, a way of convincing her to find value in herself apart from her mediocre grades and lack of friends.

"Maybe you don't have to," Mio said. "Different people are good at different things- my friend Ryuuka-chan doesn't get good grades but is a talented athlete, while her older sister, Mariko-san, is unathletic but a top student."

"And you're good at both school _and_ sports, sis," Touko said in a tone that was more admiring than jealous. "I wish there was something I was good at."

"I'm sure you'll find it someday," Mio said. "I can't tell you what that is, though- that's a decision you'll have to make for yourself."

Touko nodded, not entirely convinced. Despite wanting to change, or at least become someone other than the person she currently was, she didn't have the confidence or know a way to actually do so. Mio was her role model, but if school was a race, Mio was so far ahead of Touko that it seemed all but impossible for Touko to catch up, and the sight of her sister so far off in the distance inspired despair, rather than hope.

But while Touko sometimes found it difficult to live in Mio's shadow, she didn't know what she'd do without her older sister. Mio had been around for as long as Touko had been alive, and had always been there for her, so Touko had no desire to imagine a life without Mio... at least until she had no choice but to live it.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

The Nanamis aren't terrible parents, but they're implied to have not done the best job raising Touko, especially by inadvertently fueling her desire to become her sister, just like most of the other adults in her life did.

That said, as long as Mio was alive, it was most likely that Touko saw herself as inferior to her sister, and believed she couldn't possibly achieve what Mio had. Touko still thinks of herself as inferior to Mio, at least before getting a glimpse at Mio's true character, but after Mio's death, she became determined to become Mio.


	4. Taking Root in Toomi East

**Chapter 3: Taking Root in Toomi East**

Eventually, Mio entered high school. Getting into her school of choice, Toomi East High, was a simple matter, and Mio was able to become student representative for her class by earning the best score on the entrance exam. With that came the right- and the duty- to speak to her fellow first-years at the opening ceremony. Preparing and delivering that speech was an intimidating prospect, even if was nothing that anyone with the talent and work ethic to get the best scores on the exam couldn't handle.

But while Mio was a relatively reluctant honor student, she found she actually enjoyed the task of giving an address. Apart from writing a speech that the school would approve of, which was simply a matter of making a wholesome yet appealing message encouraging her fellow students to do their best in class and represent their school well, actually delivering the speech was simply a matter of memorizing it and reciting it without succumbing to stage fright.

It would be a lie to say that Mio wasn't afraid at all while standing before throngs of her peers, who were all watching and judging her. She knew what was at stake, just like she knew it every time she took a test or did anything else that would affect her grade point average. She also knew that letting her fears control her was the best way of ensuring that those fears actually came to pass, and had mastered the art of at least seeming as though she was in control.

Mio finished delivering her speech, to the applause of everyone assembled in the gymnasium. If anyone judged her and found her lacking, they were unwilling to share this opinion in front of the others, so Mio could safely conclude that she had succeeded. The speech was merely her making a first impression on her new school, so she couldn't rest on her laurels just yet, but having a strong start to her high school career was a promising sign.

* * *

Mio's confidence in herself was soon proven to be well-founded. The student council president, impressed by her speech, quickly recruited her as an officer, along with Tomoyuki Ichiaya, a similarly promising first-year. Both Mio and Ichigaya were honored to have gotten the student council president's attention... at least until they realized that his best quality was having a good eye for talent, and he tended to make his subordinates do most of the work.

After finishing with their duties, Mio and Ichigaya began the walk home.

"The president really works us first-years hard," Ichigaya said. "I don't mind, since we are here to help out, but it'd be nice if he'd pitch in."

"I thought making the newcomers do the grunt work was just part of how school clubs work," Mio said. "One of my friends is on the basketball team, and she says that the first-years end up doing most of the chores for the club, along with standard training drills. Of course, she believes that if she works hard and improves her skills, she'll eventually become a regular player."

"So it's about paying your dues, then?" Ichigaya said. "I guess I get where they're coming from, but aren't the regulars the ones who do the actual playing?"

"It's not a perfect analogy," Mio said. "Still, we all have our roles to play, and it's important to do even the thankless ones well."

Ichigaya didn't have a rebuttal to that, so he let the subject drop. Ichigaya questioned the division labor and Mio accepted it, but the two new friends had common ground in being willing to do their best for the student council.

* * *

One afternoon in late May, the members of the student council found themselves having a large amount of clerical work. They were able to finish it, but were unable to discuss some items of importance that they'd hoped to talk about before meeting with the president.

As soon as they finished, the last bell of the day rang, signaling that students had to leave campus.

"There goes the last bell," Mio said. "Just wondering, but do any of you have plans on Sunday?"

"Nothing I can't get out of," Ichigaya said,

"Me neither," a boy named Reito Akamine said.

"Looks like we're all free, Mio," a girl named Shizuru Aoyama said. "Why do you ask, anyway?"

"I was hoping to have the three of you over," Mio said. "My parents will be out tomorrow, so we should be able to talk about student council business and other stuff at my place. Does that work with you?"

The other three nodded.

"Then it's settled," Mio said. "I'm going to have to let my folks know I'll have company over. Let me know if you can't make it, okay?"

After a short discussion to nail down a time to meet and letting the others know where Mio lived, the four went home to speak with their parents. Within a few hours, Touko got three text messages from her friends, informing her that they could come, so she set about preparing to play hostess to them.

* * *

On Sunday, Touko and Mio were sitting in the living room of their family home, when the doorbell rang. As soon as the sound reached her ears, at the exact time Mio had asked her guests to arrive, Mio stood up, knowing that her company had arrived.

"That must be my friends from the student council," Mio said. "I'll get the door."

Mio walked to the door and opened it, at which point Touko hid behind her sister's legs.

"Welcome, everyone," Touko said. "Feel free to make yourselves at home."

"Sorry to intrude," Ichigaya said, as he took off his shoes, and the other two followed suit.

Touko hid behind her sister's legs and began to tremble. While she was far from outgoing, she actually was relatively comfortable her sister and the few friends she had. Said level of comfort took time and work to achieve, though, and when faced with a stranger, Touko was little more than a nervous wreck, which was part of the reason why so few people became more than mere acquaintances to her.

"Is that your sister, Mio?" Ichigaya said.

"She is," Mio said. "Everyone, this is my younger sister, Touko. Touko, these are my fellow student council members. He's Tomoyuki Ichigaya- 'Yuki-kun' to friends- the other boy is Reito Akamine, and the girl is Shizuru Aoyama."

"Nice to meet you," the other members of the student council said, offering a bow to Touko. As shy as Touko was, she understood the value of good manners, so she reciprocated the gesture.

As the other members of the student council greeted Touko warmly, Mio had to wonder why Touko didn't have more friends at school. Granted, she was shy, and less charisma than Mio by virtue of her mediocrity, but she was pleasant, good-natured and fun to be around. Mio hoped that if Touko continued to be herself, she'd find precious friends of her own, and that she'd never feel pressured to be someone she wasn't.

* * *

Not long after introductions were finished, Touko quickly retreated to her room, and Mio and the other student council members got down to business. Before long, they completed what they'd come to Mio's house to do, and briefly discussed other matters relating to student council work, before getting sidetracked and talking as friends- about school, the latest gossip, their hobbies and other such things- for most of the time they were visiting.

Eventually, the other three members went home, and Touko, having heard the front door slam shut, emerged from her room. She'd stayed in there for most of the day, only coming out to get something to eat or drink, or use the bathroom, but even with the door closed, she could hear Mio and her friends, talking, laughing and enjoying themselves without her. Touko would be lying if she said she didn't feel left out, but if Mio was enjoying herself, then Touko couldn't complain if Mio did so without her.

"Are they gone now?" Touko said.

"They are," Mio said. "You know, Touko, you shouldn't be afraid to come out while my friends are over."

Touko shook her head.

"That's not it," Touko said, "well, not _all_ of it. It's just that all of you sounded like you were having so much fun, that I didn't want to get in the way."

"Get in the way?" Mio said, utterly confused. "What makes you think you'd end up doing that?"

"I don't know, sis," Touko said. "You just seem a lot more relaxed when you're around your friends, and can talk with them about pretty much anything- or nothing at all. I've never seen you like that with Mom, with Dad or with me."

Mio was left at a loss for words for a little while. How could she be more at ease around her fellow members of the student council, whom she'd met less than a year ago, than she was around her younger sister, whom she'd known for half her life and all of Touko's? She didn't come up with any answers at the moment.

"You really think so?" Mio said.

"That's just what I think," Touko said. "I could be wrong, though, since I've only just met your friends."

As Touko backed down from her suggestion, not confident enough in it or herself to follow through. Mio quickly changed the subject. Even as she did, though, she had to wonder- was she truly holding herself back around her sister? While Touko looked up to Mio, she also loved her sister unconditionally, so Mio had no reason to believe that anything she could say or do would cause Touko to stop loving her.

* * *

May soon ended, and June began, along with the rainy season. One day, after school let out, Mio stood near the entrance of the school, watching the rain fall. She cursed her own absentmindedness as she realized she'd forgotten to bring an umbrella, and then cursed whoever had been the last to use the school's loaner umbrella, since the umbrella's ribs were broken and it only provided minimal protection from the rain.

Then Mio's cell phone rang, and she smiled as she saw the caller ID- the phone number for the Nanami residence.

"It's me," Mio said.

"Mio, it's your mother," Mio's mother said. "Your father and I noticed that you forgot your umbrella today, so your sister's on her way to bring it to you."

"Ah, I see," Touko said. "I'll wait for her at the entrance of the school."

Within minutes, Touko arrived at the front gate, carrying an umbrella. Since Touko had already made it home, she'd already changed out of her uniform, and wore a blouse and skirt with a pink raincoat.

"I'm here, sis," Touko said. "I brought your umbrella."

"Thanks for coming, Touko," Mio said, "but what about yours?"

Touko blushed deeply. The umbrella she was carrying was clearly Mio's, as it was long enough for a fully grown high schooler to hold, and had a clear design that wouldn't raise eyebrows.

"Oh," Touko said. "I guess I forgot it."

"Not a problem," Mio said with a soft chuckle. "That's what I'm here for."

Mio opened the umbrella, held it above her head and began to walk home, with Touko following close at her side.

"Sorry to make you come all this way," Mio said after they'd made it home.

"It's fine," Touko said. "Unlike you, I don't have any clubs to go to in the afternoon:."

Mio paused for a moment to think. For a long time, she'd worried about Touko having few friends or interests, and hoped that she'd found a way to kill two birds with one stone.

"Have you ever considered joining one?" Mio said. "I'm sure you'd be able to find something you're good at, and make some friends."

"I'm thinking about it," Touko said, "but I don't know what I'm good at. You seem like you're having fun in the student council, so I'll look for one, too."

"Good luck," Mio said. "You don't have to choose the same clubs I did- in fact, you might find something better on your own. In the end, it's up to you."

Having given Touko some useful advice for her life decisions, Mio had to think about her own. How many of her choices, from clubs to how she spent her time after getting home from school, were things she wanted to do, and how many were things that she did because it was conducive to her goals, or necessary to remain a well-respected honor student?

Mio put that thought out of her head before she could think of an answer. She'd made her decision about what path to follow long ago- that of a perfect honor student- and now, all that was left was to walk it to wherever it would lead her. She didn't know what sort of career it would help her achieve, since that was a future she would not live long enough to see, but she knew her next destination- the presidency of the Toomi East High School student council.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

There seems to be a fair amount of precedent for Toomi East's student council presidents delegating their work to subordinates. Not only did President Kuze let Touko do most of the work, but Ichigaya seems to imply that this sort of thing is the norm for the student council, at least when he was on it.

Since Ichigaya picked up on Mio's apparently less than stellar work ethic, when Touko never dreamed of it, it's possible she was somewhat more relaxed and open around her friends than she was around her family.

Chapter 4 may take a bit longer to come out, since I haven't done as much work on it. The story's coming along well, even if I won't get nearly close enough to the 50,000 word mark- I expect I'll have something over 10,000 words once I'm done, though.

What follows is an omake that takes place during the training camp during the main story.

* * *

 **Omake:**

During the training camp, Riko held a private discussion with Ichigaya about how the students were faring. Ichigaya, who had previously been skeptical about how well the students would do, had to admit that he was pleasantly surprised, particularly by Touko.

"By the way, Ichigaya-kun," Riko said, "I wasn't aware that you knew Nanami-san."

"It was a long time ago," Ichigaya-kun said, "and I met her through her sister while we were on the student council together. I honestly didn't think she'd remember me."

"Oh," Riko said. "You seemed to react to hearing her name, and went from being ambivalent to willing to help fairly quickly."

"Part of it is that I wanted to the student council to start the play again," Ichigaya said. "I think Mio would, too, if she were still around."

"And the other part?" Riko said.

"I wanted to meet Nanami-san," Ichigaya said, "and see how much she'd changed after all this time. The little girl I knew seven years ago wouldn't have joined the student council, so I was really surprised when I heard that Nanami-san was the _president_ of all things. I guess I have been away from the school for a while."

"Fair enough," Riko said. "Nanami-san has always been determined to make the play a success, so I'm sure she appreciates the help, just as I do."

Ichigaya and Riko talked about the school back when Ichigaya was a student there, while carefully avoiding the sensitive subject of Mio. Since Riko only knew Touko as one of her students, and kept a professional distance, she had to wonder what it would be like to have taught Touko in elementary school, and later heard about her changing so much in the last seven years. Those answers would likely never come to Riko, who was only Touko's teacher, so all she could do was play her role as a teacher and give Touko the help and advice she needed to help her best serve her school.


	5. The Blossoming Flower

**Chapter 4: The Blossoming Flower**

For the rest of Mio's first year, she simply did her job for the student council, doing any and all work the president gave her. Most of the school continued to look up to the president, not realizing that his subordinates did the lion's share of the student council's job, but they recognized Mio as a participant in that process, and she gradually earned the respect of her peers and upperclassmen. Many who praised Mio saw her as a person who was mature enough to resist the temptation of instant gratification, an observation that was largely true.

Eventually, Mio reached her second year, and had the opportunity to run for president; a step she'd always thought she'd take, but only officially took once the year began. While she'd grown to be fairly popular and well-respected, and some people were even asking her to run, Mio knew that she'd need a plan in order to convince the school to choose her as their president, and once she was elected, make the most of her time in office.

* * *

Early on in the year, Ichigaya and Mio met inside the student council building to discuss Mio's platform. Since Mio was closer to Ichigaya than any of the other student council members, he was the obvious choice for her campaign manager.

"So, what's your plan, Mio?" Ichigaya said."How are you going to get the students to vote for you?"

"I'll give the people what they want," Mio said. "I'll promise to listen to their concerns and to do my utmost to make this school a better place, because after all, I'm a student here, too. I think most students want an experienced leader with good character and principles, so that's what I'll try to be for them."

"Sounds nice," Ichigaya said, "but do you want to change anything?"

Mio shook her head.

"Why should I?" Mio said. "I think most of us think the school's just fine as it is, or at the very least, don't want any changes that are in our power to make. It would be unwise to try to suggest anything different unless we can make a compelling case for it."

"Fair enough," Ichigaya said. "I just don't want people to think that you're just planning on coasting through for a good transcript, like the current president did."

"They say the student council president's a pillar of our community," Mio said, "and just like how support beams keep a building standing, I think that means that just by being there, the president helps keep our school stable. That's the role I hope to play for our school, so I hope that the student body will trust me to do just that."

There were times when Ichigaya wondered if Mio used that creed as an excuse to do relatively little as president, but he never doubted its veracity, least of all after her death. He had his own opinions about how the school should be run, but doubted that he had the ability to get the school to support them. Because of that, he never sought office, and always believed that, in spite of her flaws and his disagreements with her, Mio was the best choice he knew of.

* * *

Luckily for Mio, she had every advantage over the competition. Her opponent, a girl who'd attended a prestigious all-girls academy until she'd moved midway through her first year of high school, and ran on a platform of making the rules stricter, from punishing students who didn't go straight home after school to requiring students to participate in clubs. Few people appreciated those proposals, and even fewer wanted to vote for her, so some students politely asked her to concede, since she had no chance of winning.

Eventually, the students of Toomi East cast their votes, and the next day, the results showed a landslide victory for Mio. While some students had actually called her "President" before her victory, the fact that Mio had actually won and ascended to the highest office a student could hold at her school didn't seem real at first.

But it was real, and by the time the votes were cast, every student at Toomi East knew Mio's name. She'd gone from being someone who was "merely" the best student in her grade, to being the true leader of the Toomi East community. Expectations of her were higher than ever, and she would have to work harder than ever in order to meet them.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

This chapter was fairly short, even as far as this fic goes, but it's mainly a transition chapter, in which Mio gets elected.

Surprisingly enough, canon doesn't provide much details on what sort of platform Touko ran on, or even what kind of person her opponent was. The fact that she had one meant her victory wasn't guaranteed, but we don't learn much more than that.

The next chapter will focus on Mio's tenure as student council president.


	6. In Full Bloom

**Chapter 5: In Full Bloom**

While the Nanami sisters were more different than most would think during their high school days, they both thought of the same thing immediately after being elected- the school play. The only difference was that in Mio's case, it was an established tradition, while Touko was the one who revived the play. Obviously, the latter was a more difficult task, since Touko had to contend with those who had no interest in the play's return, but Mio still had to live up to the expectations of those who eagerly awaited the play each year. For that reason, Mio wasted no time in making her preparations, and might have succeeded if she'd lived long enough.

* * *

The student council discussed the school play, which was a two-act play by a local playwright and Toomi East alumnus. It focused on four people who were trapped together in a tunnel after an earthquake caused a cave-in, showing them struggling to stay alive while thinking about where they came from and where they were going. The play wasn't of the same caliber as Shakespeare or even of great literary value, but it was one of the more promising ones that was feasible for high school students.

There was no "main" character among the two men and two women who'd been trapped by this unfortunate turn of events, but the roles were divvied up according to personality and preferences. Mio chose the role of a college student who was on her way to an exam, a role that had slightly fewer lines than the other three, but had emotional complexity, as she gradually came to terms with what was happening and proved to be the emotional center for the survivors. Ichigaya played a dutiful husband and father, one who was still worried about escaping in order to get to work on time, even though it was clear that he'd probably never escape at all. Akamine played a down-on-his-luck man who had little to live for, but found that he didn't want to die, either. Aoyama played a desperately optimistic woman who tried to keep the others' spirits up but quickly broke down herself.

Mio had her fellow actors recite their lines, and occasionally commented on the tone they conveyed. She believed Ichigaya had a good grasp of his character, especially after he mentioned that the man he played would likely feel guilt over not playing the role he needed to as breadwinner for the family. The same went for the other two, so Mio believed that the actors, amateurs as they were, would be the best suited to deciding how to interpret their characters and how to portray them in the play.

Of course, that wasn't the only thing that Mio left up to her colleagues. As she looked at the laundry list of tasks she had to do for the play- planning a training camp, supervising practices, procuring costumes and props, setting up and taking down everything, and many other tasks over a period of a few months on top of all her other school and student council work- she began to feel overwhelmed.

The process of passing the buck was a gradual one, a slippery slope greased by making compromises. It began with Mio spending so much time on getting ready for the play that she was unable to do the errands she usually did. Before long, Mio ended up apologizing to the other officers, and asking them to pick up the slack when it came to clerical work and other boring but necessary office tasks. Finally, Mio's only contributions to the student council, apart from the play, were to do speeches and other such duties that the president had to personally handle... just like her predecessor had before her.

Had Mio intended to emulate the previous student council president, and had she even realized that's what she'd done? Perhaps not even Mio knew the answers to these questions, but if anyone had asked her, she'd insist that wasn't what she'd set out to do. Mio was no more perfect than her sister was, but she did not think of herself as a charlatan who sought fame and respect, simply a girl who sought to do what was expected of her.

* * *

In the early summer, Toomi East High School held its yearly sports festival, in which the school's various clubs competed against each other. Obviously, the sports teams were most likely to win, since they lived and died by how quickly they could run and how long they could last while giving 100 percent, but Mio didn't believe for a moment that victory was beyond her reach.

After Mio and the others changed into their gym clothes, Mio called for her fellow officers' attention.

"All right, everyone," Mio said. "In a little while, we'll be going out there and competing against the school's other clubs, including the sports teams. Some of you might think that we're at a disadvantage against the school's best athletes, and I'll admit that we are, but that's no reason for us to just give up. The school established this event so that _all_ of its students could compete against each other, not just those the school thought had the best chance at winning, so we owe it to ourselves and our school to give this event everything we have. I know what you're all capable of, so if you do your best, we might just win this. Who's with me?"

The other student council members raised their right arms in the air and cheered.

"You're certainly fired up, Mio," Ichigaya said. "Is it because you're hoping to show off for your little sister?"

"Touko has school, so she won't be watching," Mio said. "But you're not wrong. I would like to honestly tell her that we did a good job in this race, so I'll need you all to do your best."

The others nodded enthusiastically. Any school club, sports team or other organization asked a great deal of its members, so anyone who signed up came prepared to sacrifice a great deal for the group's success. Since becoming student council president, Mio came to understand this, and to appreciate the others' hard work in otherwise thankless tasks, even if it seemed like she took them for granted.

In the end, the student council took third place, behind the track and field club and the basketball team, but ahead of everyone else, including the badminton team. Touko was impressed even without the context, knowing that getting third place in a contest with so many participants was something to be proud of.

* * *

Preparation for the play continued, and everyone continued improving and learning their parts at a steady pace. The student council held a training camp, and, with the guidance of a member of the local theater troupe, the four members were easily able to identify and correct any flaws in their performances.

As August neared its end, Mio called for a meeting of the student council to discuss how the play was coming along. Everyone was pleased to report that they had a fairly good grasp of their parts at this point, but Mio wondered if she'd been forgetting something.

"Man, we've really been busy," Akamine said. "Between the play, student council and summer homework, it almost feels like we're still in school."

Mio froze in her seat upon hearing "summer homework." Summer homework was the more pressing priority compared to the play, since it was due at the start of September, several weeks before the school festival, but it still was far from an immediate concern. Because Mio believed she had enough time, she kept putting it off in order to keep up with practicing for the play... until it was too late, and she couldn't finish it by herself.

"Mio?" Ichigaya said, noticing Mio was fairly uncomfortable. As a practiced public speaker, Mio was adept at hiding any signs of nervousness, so it was clear to Ichigaya that something was seriously wrong if it showed up on her face like that.

Mio fidgeted nervously for a moment, and none of the other student council members looked any more comfortable.

"I... have a confession to make to you all," Mio said. "I've been so busy preparing for the play that I... neglected to do my summer homework, and I don't think I can finish it in time. I hate to ask this, but... if you could help me with my homework, I'll pay you back once the play is done."

As Mio made her request, she put her hands together, and bent forward, as if she were a worshipper beseeching her god for a boon.

The other officers hesitated for a moment, but knew what was at stake. Student council members were respected for their service, but held to the same academic and behavioral standards as anyone else. Ordinary students could laugh about putting off their homework until the end of summer, but if the popular and famous student council president did that, it could become quite humiliating for Mio and for the student council as a whole.

"All right," Ichigaya said. "I guess we can help you out just this once."

The other two student council members nodded in consent, and Mio let off a long sigh of relief.

"Thank you so much!" Mio said. "If you want me to do you a favor, just name it!"

The student council members then went to work, setting out to make it look like Mio had done her own work, including making mistakes in questions that she thought she'd get wrong. Perhaps a day would have come when Mio would have had the perspective to laugh about herself being worried about something like this, or for poorly managing her time, if Mio had lived long enough. For now, though, Mio had to admit that this time, she'd been more concerned with seeming like the student council president everyone looked up to than actually being it. Until now, she'd never had to choose between the two, but now that she'd made that choice, she'd come to a sobering realization as to what it meant for her as a person.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

My personal interpretation on whether Mio is as lazy as Ichigaya suggests is that at least to some degree, she decided to rely on the other student council members, rather than do everything herself. There's less of an excuse for making them do her homework, but perhaps that does show that in the end, she wants to seem like a school idol rather than actually be one, even if she usually didn't have to fake it. In any case, this seems like the most believable, human and sympathetic interpretation of her, so that's the one I chose.

The fic's winding down, and there's only three more chapters- one about Mio's last days, another about what happened after Mio's death and an epilogue that leads into the canon series.

Here's an omake showing Touko and the others around the time of the sports festival seven years later. As it points out, it's most likely that Touko is genuinely hard-working and competitive by nature, and only needed enough confidence in order to improve herself.

* * *

 **Omake**

After Yuu and Touko showed some improvement passing the baton, Yuu and Touko walked home together.

"I'm glad to see that you and Sayaka seem to have gotten the hang of the baton pass," Touko said, "especially since you actually seem to be getting along better, too."

"That's good, senpai," Yuu said, "but in spite of our differences, Saeki-senpai and I agree on one thing- we don't get why you're so fixated on winning."

"I think we have a shot," Touko said. "Sayaka's one of the best athletes I know who isn't in a sports club, and you used to be in softball, didn't you?"

"A friend of mine asked," Yuu said. "You wouldn't know her, since she goes to a different high school, but if it wasn't for her, I'd never have gotten involved in the first place."

"Even if that's true, I do think you're fairly athletic, Yuu," Touko said, "so I'm sure you'll get a good time if you try."

Yuu shrugged. She'd heard something similar from her middle school friends regarding the time she'd played for her old school's softball team, even if Yuu didn't consider herself all that athletic compared to Akari and Natsuki. She'd since gotten used to her duties for student council, though, so perhaps there was some truth to the idea that she could become good at anything she stuck with, regardless of her reasons for getting involved in the first place.

"But anyway, I really do want to win," Touko said, "since I'm past the days when I could settle for mediocrity, or do nothing more than I needed to just get by. At the very least, if we try our hardest, I won't have any regrets about the outcome."

As Yuu talked with Touko, she started to wonder- was Touko's desire to succeed solely rooted in her attempting to emulate her sister? Perhaps Touko was naturally ambitious, and by attempting to become her sister, she'd gained the confidence necessary to achieve what she'd previously dreamed about. Perhaps Touko's success was something Touko did not achieve as a facsimile of Mio, but as Touko herself.


	7. Wilted Too Soon

**Chapter 6: Wilted Too Soon**

* * *

Our lives are stories that are constantly being written, so virtually no one can guess how- or when- theirs will end.

Mio was no exception. She'd given some thought to preparing for college and had a few career choices written down, but never imagined that she would not live long enough to go to college, much less start a career. Even in the final year, month, week, day and hour of her life, Mio never imagined that her life was almost over.

Even apart from not foreseeing her own death, Mio's mind was mostly on the present. While high school students had to think about their futures, they also had many things to worry about, but also enjoy, in the present. This was especially true for the student council, which had to plan for the school festival, and later, the school trip, not anticipating that a much more sudden and tragic development would occur long before either.

* * *

After summer vacation ended, Mio returned to school, and her preparations for the school festival continued. Getting a school full of hundreds of students ready for an event that involved the participation of every class and student club was not something that could be done overnight, but a project that the student council and other clubs worked on day in, day out. The student council's own contribution, the school play, was no exception, and the class continued to practice every time they met.

On a Saturday afternoon, after school, Mio held another student council meeting to discuss and rehearse for the upcoming play. The class had already memorized their lines, although a few of the cast members were having trouble with their delivery.

"That's all for today," Mio said. "I think everyone's doing well so far, and we should be ready in time for the play. Next week, we'll be moving on to dress rehearsals, so please be ready for that, and make sure you know all your lines."

Everyone then got up to leave and go home, and Mio walked home with Ichigaya one last time.

"So you really think we can do this, Mio?" Ichigaya said, hoping for her honest opinion, rather than merely a platitude meant to improve morale.

"Absolutely, Yuki-kun," Mio said. "I think everyone's really done well so far, and you've got the makings of a good actor."

"If you say so," Ichigaya said modestly.

"I mean it," Mio said. "It might seem like I'm pushing a lot onto you guys, and that's probably true, but I really think you're a reliable bunch. I'm being completely honest with you all it when I say that I couldn't have gotten by without you."

Ichigaya smiled. Sometimes, his friends outside the student council said they were jealous of him for getting to serve alongside Mio every day, even if he protested that he and Mio were merely friends and colleagues, not anything more than that. There were times when he wondered if they'd still admire and crush on Mio as much as they did if they truly knew her, but he had to admit that he was lucky. To Ichigaya, Mio wasn't a school idol, but a trusted friend and colleague, so he enjoyed his time with her and appreciated every moment of it... even if he didn't know it was about to come to an end.

* * *

The next day, Mio woke up in the morning, not knowing it would be her last day alive.

Knowing it was a Sunday, Mio took full advantage of the freedom she'd been given, since she didn't have to attend school. She woke up late enough that she'd never be able to make it to school on time. She put on a plaid button-down shirt and a pair of jeans; while some students could get away with taking liberties with the dress code, showing up like this would have gotten her sent home immediately. She spent most of the morning lazing around, mentally noting when each of her classes would have begun or ended if she were in school.

Touko had the same idea as Mio, since she wore a white turtleneck and a skirtall, and judging from how quickly she'd gotten herself ready, hadn't woken up more than 15 minutes before Mio had. She seemed more relaxed than she did around strangers, and a part of Mio hoped that one day, Touko could show that side of her to all her friends.

In the afternoon, the two sisters sat at the couch, watching a TV program that neither of them found especially interesting, but was a good way to kill time. Touko, who'd started reading while on the couch, would later be unable to recall what she and her sister had been watching even though every other detail of that afternoon would be burned into her memory. Eventually, Touko, feeling tired, lay her head in her sister's lap.

Mio smiled warmly. It was a fairly boring afternoon, but it was also a highly relaxing one. Right now, no one expected Mio to live up to her reputation, and no one judged Touko for falling short of what Mio had accomplished when she was Touko's age. For a few more hours, until their day off ended and a new school day began, the two sisters could be themselves, and they cherished moments like this.

Of course, the two sisters weren't completely free, as they were still expected to help out around the house. Their mother, who was working in the kitchen, about to start on dinner, turned to them with a task that required their attention.

"Girls, I need someone to take someone to take out the trash before dinner," their mother said.

Touko sat up after hearing her mother, then the two sisters turned to each other. The Nanami family didn't have a "chore wheel," but it was more or less expected that each member of the family earn their keep somehow. Touko had lower expectations than Mio did, but still had to pitch in from time to time, and would do so more often once she got older. This time, however, her mother didn't care which of the sisters helped out.

"How about we do rock-paper-scissors, Touko?" Mio said. "The loser has to take the trash out."

Touko nodded. The sisters often used rock-paper-scissors as a relatively fair and impartial way to settle disputes like this.

"Rock, paper, scissors... shoot!" the sisters said in unison

In theory, the result should have been purely up to luck, since neither sister knew what the other would choose until after both had made their choice. But while Touko knew the rules of the game, she hadn't mastered the subtler arts involved in tripping up her opponent, and as such, was somewhat predictable. That predictability gave Mio a small but crucial edge, and helped her guess what Touko would pick.

The match only lasted a few seconds, but whether because she knew her sister too well, or because of chance, Mio made a small decision that was perhaps the most important of her life.

Mio threw paper and Touko threw scissors.

"Haha, looks like I lost," Mio said. "I'll take the trash out now, Mom."

"Be back soon, sis!" Touko said cheerfully, waving.

Mio left with a smile. She didn't want to foist the responsibility on her younger sister, but she knew that Touko would feel indebted to her if Mio volunteered for the job. She couldn't let Touko win every time, lest Touko suspect something, but letting her win now and again could help give Touko a break from chores and let her feel like she'd earned it.

Of course, it wasn't as though taking the garbage out was an arduous task, since the entire process only took a few minutes... or at least it should have. After exiting the family home, Mio crossed the street, then threw the trash bag into the dumpster. Her task complete, Mio walked back to her house, preoccupied with thoughts about what her family would have for dinner that night.

On the way back, Mio stood at the crosswalk, saw the "Walk" sign light up and began to cross, unaware of the car approaching from her right, going far above the local speed limit. Since the sun had only just started to set, the driver should have been able to see her.

Mio noticed the sound of the car's tires screeching too late- too late for her to avoid it or for the driver to brake. All she could do was turn to the right, see the car speeding toward her, and wonder, "Why isn't it stopping?" For the briefest of moments, she stood there, frozen in shock and almost unimaginable terror... and then that moment passed.

The car then slammed into Mio, killing her almost instantly.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

The story doesn't disclose many details about the cause of Mio's death, apart from the fact that it was a traffic accident- an appropriately sudden and traumatic cause of death. There isn't an official date of her death, either, apart from that it was apparently between when the school year started and when the play would have been held.

Even though Mio is now dead, there will be two more chapters- one for the aftermath of Mio's death and an epilogue focusing on Touko.


	8. Blooming Into You

**Chapter 7: Blooming Into You**

* * *

In the immediate aftermath of the accident, the few passers-by on the street stood there, horrified by the sight of a high school-age girl lying in a pool of her own blood on the pavement, even though none of them knew her name. One of them had the presence of mind to call for an ambulance, and immediately started dialing the number after seeing Mio.

The ambulance arrived almost immediately, but it was already too late. Mio was rushed to the hospital, and pronounced dead on arrival.

Touko, who'd been awakened from her nap by the sound of the ambulance, wasn't initially told what was going on, but could guess from her parents' tones and the fact that her sister wasn't back yet that something had happened to Mio. She cried for hours when she heard of her sister's death, and didn't sleep at all that night.

A terrible thought occurred to Touko- what if she'd thrown rock instead of scissors? If the accident had happened anyway, it would have claimed her life, that of an ordinary girl who hadn't accomplished much and likely never would, instead of killing her wunderkind sister. Her family would be devastated, but since she had few friends and no admirers, not many others would be.

Of course, the past couldn't be changed, nor could the fact that Touko was still alive, and Mio was not. Touko knew that if their positions were reversed, Mio would soldier on and make the most of her life, knowing that her sister did not have that choice. Perhaps Touko knew she would be unlikely to accomplish as much as her sister would have, but she also knew she had to try- she owed her sister at least that much.

* * *

Mio's funeral was a relatively private affair, held roughly a week after her death. Her family, a few of her teachers, her fellow student council members and her relatives attended. Touko had met, or at least heard of, most of the people there, but many of those who knew Mio were meeting each other for the first time.

Ichigaya was one of the few people outside the Nanami family that Touko knew. She noticed that he was somewhat more polite and restrained around his mother, and suspected that Mio would have acted that way if she'd ever met Ichigaya's parents. What Touko didn't notice, however, was Ichigaya's relatively tactful and polite description of Touko's work for the student council. While his description of her as a good friend was truthful enough, Touko didn't realize that he left out anything that went against the image of Mio as the perfect young lady, from her having fun with friends to her asking others to do what should have been her work. Touko would not see or speak to Ichigaya again for several years, though, so it would be a long time before she doubted anything that he had said.

After Ichigaya left, one of Touko's aunts- her mother's younger sister- came up to her. While Touko generally saw her relatives no more than once a year, all of them had heard enough of Mio to be in awe of her talent... and enough about Touko to know that she was a far cry from her sister in that regard.

"Touko-chan, it's been so long," the aunt said. "You've grown so much since I last saw you."

"It's good to see you again too, auntie," Touko said.

"Yes, even though I do wish we were meeting under better circumstances, though," the aunt said. "I'm so sorry to hear about your sister."

Touko nodded, once again on the brink of tears. The loss of her sister was a wound that would never fully heal, and every reference to Mio's passing helped reopen that wound.

"This may not sound convincing since my sister- your mother- is still alive," the aunt said, "but I think it would be best if you kept your chin up and made the most of your life, for Mio-chan's sake. I think she'd be happier knowing that you're carrying on and living your life to the fullest."

"I think so, too," Touko said. "Thank you, auntie."

This would not be the last time Touko received that advice, and each time, Touko gave the same reply. For some, that would come off as an empty platitude, but for Touko, it seemed to be the only way to ensure that her sister's life, while tragically short, had not been in vain. As successful as Mio had been, there were still many things she'd left undone, and Touko was perhaps the only person who could succeed where Mio had failed.

* * *

For the rest of the year, the student council operated under an interim president. Not only was the play canceled that year, but the student council had no interest putting one on the year after Mio's death... and the year after that... and the year after that... and the year after that... and the year after that. For the first year or two, the student council was still reeling from Mio's death, and after that, apathy set in. The play had been a school tradition, but that tradition had since been discarded, so few saw much reason to bring back something that only had sentimental value to the school.

Eventually, Mio's former yearmates graduated without her, as did anyone who'd been at the school while Mio was alive. In spite of that, the school never forgot Mio, as many of the teachers who'd had Mio in their classes continued to teach at the school. They often found themselves teaching many of their former students' younger siblings, so it was only natural that they would eventually teach Touko, too.

As the years passed, the school never completely forgot Mio, but few remembered much about her apart from what was commonly knowledge. Almost everyone who'd been at the school when Mio had attended knew her name, but most knew only a few other things about her- that she was popular, that she was a star student, that she was the student council president and that she had been killed in an accident- all but the latter of which could apply to many of the other talented students. Like many famous people, particularly those who had passed on, Mio became seen as more of a legend than a person, a perfect individual who was quite literally too good to be true.

But while so many had an idealized view of Mio and no one person could know the "real" her, some of those closest to her knew bits and pieces of the truth. One of those bits had been passed down to her sister, who, by chasing after Mio, used her beloved elder sister's life as the inspiration to reshape her own. As Mio's story ended, Touko's truly began.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

This chapter was meant to explore the repercussions of Mio's death, particularly the cancellation of the play. While it's implied that Mio's death was at least partly the cause, I also suspect that there were other factors in why no one seems to have seriously considered bringing the play back before Touko proposed it.

The next chapter is the epilogue, a bridge between past and present.


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

After returning to school, Touko began her quest to become her sister, and put more energy into it than she had into any of her previous endeavors. Before, she'd thought of that as an impossible endeavor, but now that she saw it as something she owed to herself and her sister, she believed she _had_ to succeed. As the saying went, Rome had not been built in a day, but because of that, Touko knew she had no time to waste.

Touko's transformation was not immediate, but it bore fruit before long. Her parents and teachers quickly noticed that her grades had improved, and Touko found that students who would not have given her a second look before were starting to take an interest in her now that her grades were near the top of the class, rather than in the middle. That development may not have fostered a healthy sense of self-esteem in Touko- after all, her goal was to become someone else- but it did give her the encouragement she needed to continue down her path, and believe that someone like her could one day emulate her sister.

Around the time Touko graduated from elementary school, her family had to move across town, resulting in her attending a different middle school from the one her sister had gone to. A part of Touko saw it as a new beginning, a chance to go to a school where no one knew her "old" self, and make a better impression on the students there. Since Touko started out as an excellent student, and graduated at the head of her class, none of her schoolmates ever imagined that she'd ever been merely average when it came to her grades.

Of course, Touko knew that one day, her path would lead her back to Toomi East High, since there was little point in taking up her sister's mantle if she couldn't also succeed her sister as student council president. By doing so, Touko would not only follow in her sister's footsteps, but also do everything her sister had left unfinished when the accident brought an abrupt end to her presidency and her life.

* * *

Six years after Mio's death, Touko, now 15 years old, started school at Toomi East High School as a first-year. The school was two train stops away from the Nanami family's new home, but Touko saw the commute as the least of her worries, especially considering that her family had bought her a pass. As for the entrance exam, Touko passed with flying colors, and by receiving the highest score, earned the honor of speaking as her class's representative.

Touko wondered if any of the few friends she'd had in elementary school had followed her to high school, but she doubted it, since most of them were mediocre students at best. Even if they had, enough time had passed that they'd probably forgotten her, and Touko had changed enough that she had little in common with the young girl her friends had known.

To Touko's surprise, the first person to speak with her was someone who she could not possibly have met before. After Touko gave her address to the freshman class, like Mio had before her, a first-year with strawberry blonde hair walked up to her.

"Excellent speech, Nanami-san," the girl said.

"Thank you," Touko said, "And you are?"

"My name is Sayaka Saeki. I'm not surprised we've met before- I went to Tomosumi High School."

"Nice to meet you," the two girls said as they bowed to each other.

"So, Saeki-san," Touko said, "I have a question."

"Call me 'Sayaka,' please," Sayaka said.

"All right, Sayaka- you can call me 'Touko,' too. Anyway, why come here instead of Tomosumi's associated high school?"

"The commute was too long," Sayaka said. "I didn't want to deal with that for another three years."

Touko knew that this was an obvious lie, but didn't yet know Sayaka well enough to figure out the truth.

"I... I see," Touko said. "Personally, my house is two stops away, but that doesn't stop me from coming here. In fact, I have... personal reasons for choosing this school."

Sayaka simply nodded, accepting Touko's answer, and the two changed the subject. She would eventually get a glimpse of Touko's true motivations, but chose to let her new friend keep her secrets, since Sayaka had more than a few of her own. Friendship didn't require sharing everything, but

* * *

Before long, Touko and Sayaka joined the student council, serving as officers alongside Touko's predecessor as president, Kuze, and an older girl. After a long day at school and student council, Touko walked part of the way home with Sayaka.

"Finally, we're done," Touko said. "President Kuze certainly keeps us busy."

"Good thing for him you're here to pick up the slack," Sayaka said. "At the very least, he does have a good eye for talent, and a knack for delegating work."

Touko laughed out loud. She'd heard that there was a grain of truth in most humor, and she'd worked with Kuze long enough to know that there was more than a grain in Sayaka's joke.

"But in all seriousness, Touko," Sayaka said, "did you imagine that the student council president would be more proactive?"

"I'd hoped so," Touko said. "I'd always imagined good student council presidents would not only effectively lead the student body, but help out where it was needed. Leaders don't just hand out orders, or merely come up with the plans for their organizations to follow, but they should also set an example for others through their actions"

Touko's voice contained hints of doubt. She had to admit that while she'd long admired her older sister, she hadn't actually seen Mio at work. Maybe it would be different if the sisters had only been one year apart, rather than seven, but if Touko hadn't been driven to follow in Mio's footsteps at so young an age, she would never have come this far.

"Anyway," Touko said, "there _is_ something I'd like to do, even if I'm not sure the president would support it. I'd like to bring back the school play."

Sayaka shrugged. On the one hand, she was ambivalent about the play, thinking that it might be fun but also knowing that it would be a lot of work, so she was unlikely to suggest it herself. On the other hand, she had some idea of how important it was to Touko, and would eventually learn how important after looking into the play and learning about Mio. Of course, there was a more relevant problem at hand.

"Good luck with that," Sayaka said. "The last thing President Kuze wants is more work on top of what he already hands off to his officers. Of course, if you actually ran for president and won, that might be another story."

"Who says I'm not planning on doing that?" Touko said with a smile. Her tone was innocent and a bit playful, but her words were entirely sincere, something that was not lost on Sayaka.

"Not I," Sayaka said, "since I was being honest when I wished you good luck. I'm sure you can manage it, but you can't do it alone."

"I know," Touko said. "I'll be counting on you, Sayaka."

The two friends reached an understanding of sorts, even if they never discussed it openly. Sayaka knew that Touko was more vulnerable than she seemed, but rather than ask her about it, she chose to offer Touko her unconditional support. Touko had some inkling that Sayaka knew, and was grateful that Sayaka let her seem perfect in front of her while Sayaka kept Touko's secrets safe.

* * *

Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months and eventually, Touko and Sayaka's first year of high school came to an end. Through it all, Touko was recognized as the face of the student council, so it wasn't too much of a step for the girl who had been the de facto president of the student council to be elected the de jure president. Slowly, but surely, Touko had become her sister, in more ways than one- a respected student council president who was popular, but had few people who truly knew her.

That didn't stop people from confessing their love, though, even if they didn't know what they'd do if she said yes. None of them truly knew or had much of a connection with Touko, but while there was little basis for their feelings, those feelings were strong enough that the boys and girls felt compelled to act on them no matter what happened.

For Touko, refusing those suitors was a relatively simple affair. She knew that anyone who'd fallen for her current self was only in love with a facsimile of her sister, rather than of her as a person. Those who claimed to like her "true" self were even less desirable, since it was like telling a butterfly that she was better as a caterpillar. Despite this, she had to respect those who were honest and brave enough to confess, and so she strove to give them a polite yet firm "no" for an answer.

Touko had no shortage of practice, since the number of her suitors had reached the double digits by early in her second year, so when the latest such suitor approached, Touko knew exactly what to say to him- that she had no intention of falling in love with _anyone_. Perhaps a boy who'd never talked with her until the confession never stood a chance, but this answer was far more tactful while being no less true. The boy was clearly disheartened, but managed to not take it personally, which was the most Touko could hope for.

After seeing the boy off with a wave, Touko soon realized that they had not been alone. The third person in the area was the newest member of the student council, a girl different from Touko in many ways. Upon seeing the girl's ribbon, Touko immediately remembered that their advisor had mentioned that there would be a new freshman coming to help with the student council. At the time, Touko wasn't yet aware of the significance the girl would have for her life, but she would never forget that girl's name:

Yuu Koito.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Thank you for reading this fic. It didn't nearly get up to the "novel-length" of a NaNoWriMo project, but I'm glad to have completed this story.

This final chapter bridges the past with the present, and shows how Touko's belief that her sister was a perfect student council president influenced Touko's own approach to the position. Touko isn't perfect, but it's entirely possible she's closer to being that way than Mio is, since Ichigaya is genuinely impressed with Touko's competence.

I decided to move the part in which Touko began her efforts to improve herself from the previous chapter into the epilogue, since I thought it fit better here. There was originally going to be a scene in which Touko was informed of her family moving, but since Touko obediently went along with it (for the reasons I described in the third paragraph of the first scene), I decided it didn't go anywhere, and cut it out.

So ends this fic. I hope you enjoyed my contribution to the small but growing Bloom Into You section on this site. Speaking of which, if someone could add "T. Ichigaya" and "Mio N." to the characters for this fandom, I'd be grateful.


End file.
